1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a lockable piston-cylinder unit with a cylinder arrangement having a closed cylinder in which a piston dividing the cylinder interior into a first chamber and a second chamber is guided so as to be displaceable. The piston having a piston rod which is guided out of the cylinder interior so as to be sealed at one front side of the cylinder, the first chamber and second chamber being connected or connectable to one another.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fastening tube enclosing the cylinder arrangement and has a length greater than or equal to the move-out length of the piston rod, and is fixedly by one of its ends at the piston rod in the area of its free end and has a supporting stop. When the piston rod is moved out, the fastening tube can be moved out of its release position into a locking position in which the supporting stop contacts a counterstop of the cylinder arrangement so as to block a moving-in movement of the piston-cylinder unit.
In a gas spring of the type mentioned above, e.g., for opening hatches or doors particularly in motor vehicles, it is known that the fastening tube is mounted by its first end area in the area of the free end of the piston rod so as to be pivotable between a release position coaxial to the piston rod and a locking position which is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the piston rod and has the supporting stop at its second end area. When the piston rod is moved out, the fastening tube can be pivoted into the locking position and can contact one front side of the cylinder axially by the supporting stop.
This gas spring has the problem that transverse forces are generated in the system by the pivoting of the fastening tube and can cause the system to buckle when overloaded.